By Jim Duncan
CVFDude@aol.com
Twitter.com/foodude

Salmon tartine at Tartine, 12695 University Ave., Clive, 327-7427. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Des Moines’ image-makers scrapped the motto “The Surprising Place” years ago. As far our restaurant scene goes though, American Restaurant Association Chairman elect Roz Mallet thinks it’s still applicable. She used the words “wow, it’s so surprising” while discussing her impressions of our town, which she visited last week for the first time. Mallet said she never expected to find so many good French restaurants in this part of Midwest, let alone to find a pair of Alsatian restaurants. Yes, Alsatian restaurants are now plural in central Iowa.

In September, David Baruthio and Sara Hill of Baru 66, one of the James Beard Award winning top 20 new restaurants in the United States last year, partnered with Deborah and Paul Secord and with Lynn and Sarah Pritchard to open Tartine in the former Shane’s Rib Shack space in Clive. There are similarities with Baru 66. Both cafés represent Strasbourg native Baruthio’s visions of his homeland cuisine. Baru 66 pastry chef Jess Dunn is baking breakfast pastries at Tartine, too. Former Food Dude “Rising Star of the Year” Scot Stroud (Dos Rios, Alba, Django) has been recruited as Baruthio’s head chef at Tartine and will eventually run both kitchens. Hill and artist Jamie Navarro crafted the ambiance of both places.

Differences are more obvious, as Baruthio puts it “Even Alsatian chefs don’t eat exclusively at Michelin star restaurants. Tartine is more like the food I ate growing up.” Indeed, a blackboard even provides a recipe of the day from Baruthio’s grandmother. Tartine is a casual place serving breakfast and luncheon fare seven days a week. With sky blue ceilings and a painting of a surrealistic pear hovering over an Alsatian field of plenty, it appears decidedly brighter and more whimsical than Baru. Chairs are remarkably comfortable, and booths are super sized. Tableware is from Crate & Barrel rather than from Riedel or Hill’s studio as at Baru. Tartine is a semi self-service operation. Its prices are also casual — $13 topped everything on the menu over my four visits. Wines and Iowa beers were bargains, too.

Some things were quite fabulous. Frites (french fries) were triple fried for a crisp finish and tender crumb. A dish of grilled salmon with almonds, dried fruits and tabbouleh delivered perfectly rare salmon. Caesar salad dressing was spot on with lemon and anchovies shining through without dominating. Soups were consistently excellent and seasonally appropriate — a thick squash soup stood out. A ham and Brie tartine (open faced sandwich) was grilled with a butter rich enough to deceive my palate into thinking there might be a sweet marmalade added. There wasn’t. Placing Brie under a grill is one of the trickiest propositions in a kitchen; it can easily melt into flavorless goo. Stroud knew the trick for preventing that. A croque monsieur (with Gouda, ham and béchamel) served with a choice of salad, frites or soup for $8, was a top deal. Add a $1 for a croque madame (with two added fried eggs).

Crepes were perfectly delicate and accompanied by fresh fruit, freshly whipped cream and rich chocolate. Panini were served on sliced breads, not the thick baguettes or focaccia so frequently used in town. Waffles, pancakes, omelets, quiches, scrambled eggs and eggs Benedict were also simply splendid. Dunn’s pastries included croissants, éclairs, turnovers, macarons, to-die-for croquembouches and tarts that were stuffed with seasonal fruit fillings and creams. Risottos changed daily but tended to be undercooked. Large burgers were served two ways, with prosciutto, Swiss cheese and truffle mayonnaise as well as with chevre, arugula and caramelized onions. Like everything else, they were cooked to order.

Side Dishes

Des Moines authors published hot works this summer. Wini Moranville’s “Bonne Femme Cookbook” casually details the craft of everyday French cooking while Joyce Locke’s “Foodie Fight Rematch” provides a second helping of her popular trivia game for serious food lovers. CV